Richmond Promise Welcomes New Director of Development and Director of Communications

RICHMOND, CALIF. — Richmond Promise is excited to share the addition of two new staff members whose experience and background will help amplify and enhance the work being done on behalf of Richmond students as Executive Director Christopher Whitmore announced the hiring of Maya Kamath as Director of Development and Ben Enos as Director of Communications.

“We are thrilled to welcome Maya and Ben to the Richmond Promise team. Both bring a wealth of experience in their respective fields that represent important growth in our effort to promote a college graduating culture in Richmond,” Whitmore said. “As we continue our work to remove barriers and create pathways to college graduation for Richmond students, Maya and Ben will help us continue our commitment not only to the students we serve but also to the Richmond community as a whole.”

Kamath brings nearly 20 years of communications and development experience to her role as director of development at Richmond Promise.

Most recently, she served as the director of development and communications at Children Now, an Oakland-based research, policy development and advocacy organization dedicated to promoting children’s well-being in California. Prior to joining Children Now, Kamath worked as the communications and fund development coordinator at San Francisco Village, a community-based organization that serves older adults.

Before transitioning to the nonprofit sector, Kamath spent more than a decade working in corporate communications — on the agency side and in-house — where her areas of expertise included public relations, content development, and event management. She is a graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles, where she received a B.A. in mass communications, with a minor in political science.

“I’m thrilled to join Richmond Promise,” said Kamath. “I have great respect for the work they’re doing here in Richmond, and look forward to partnering with this talented team to grow the organization and deepen its impact in the community.”

Enos, who joins the team as Richmond Promise’s first full-time director of communications, is a Richmond native who served most recently as Director of Media Relations at Saint Mary’s College of California in Moraga, Calif. At Saint Mary’s, he directed media outreach, developed emergency communication responses and contributed to the College’s executive communications and storytelling efforts.

Before joining the staff at Saint Mary’s, Enos served as Press Secretary for U.S. Congressman Mark DeSaulnier at a time when DeSaulnier’s district included Richmond. He also has an extensive background in college athletic communications and is a longtime Bay Area sports writer, serving as a contributor to SportStars Magazine after writing for the Bay Area News Group for nearly a decade. Enos is a graduate of UC Berkeley, where he earned a B.A. in political science.

Enos comes from a family of West Contra Costa educators. His father, Randy, was a longtime high school teacher and administrator in the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) who was elected to the district’s school board. His mother, Tamea, served as an instructional aide at multiple district schools and his sister, Courtney, also taught at multiple district high schools.

“My family has a long history of working with West Contra Costa students, and I am so pleased that my career path has led me back to Richmond to hopefully do my part as well,” Enos said. “The team at Richmond Promise is doing incredible work that provides direct benefits for the Richmond community and I am excited to help share the stories that those efforts produce.”

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